I mostly cover prosecutorial, judicial, and police misconduct and the demise of the Rule of Law in the USA, with an occasional musical interlude.
Let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Amos 5:24 (ESV)

Monday, May 3, 2010

An Open Letter to Niel Nielson, President of Covenant College, and Area PCA Pastors

It is clear to me that all Arnt and Gregor want to do is to win. Don't think that Aldridge's testimony is not going to figure in an appeal, given her stature before the Georgia Supreme Court, which already deferred to her expertise in a previous ruling.

Furthermore, the Georgia State Bar is going to be interested in how these people plowed forward with the charges and a trial in the face of the kind of information that Dr. Aldridge has provided. The penalty for promoting false evidence is disbarment.

Furthermore, the abuse that the defense has taken at the hands of the prosecution and its junior partner, Brian House, is not going to go unnoticed. A lot of prominent people in legal circles are angry, and the Little Three is on notice that their careers might be cut a bit short.

Somehow, they continue to deceive themselves into thinking that if they just can win this trial and get a guilty verdict, that all will be forgotten and forgiven. Sorry, it doesn't work that way.

[End Update]

[Update IV, Monday 3:00 PM]: "It Didn't Fit With Their Theory"

By the time Dr. Nancy Aldridge is done with her time on the stand, Brian House is going to wish that he had disqualified her when he got the chance. My favorite line is regarding the failure of Tim Deal to include the child's statement that she was saying what her mother told her to say.

Why? Dr. Aldridge gives the perfect reply: "It didn't fit with their theory." Indeed, it did not, as the prosecution for days has had to resort to every trick in order pound the square evidence peg into the round hole of justice. This trial continues to be a disgrace, and I also am certain that the previous convictions garnered by the Dishonest Duo also will fit this pattern when they are properly scrutinized.

North Georgia, you have another McMartin/Wenatchee on your hands and you are going to have to deal with it. Don't think that people are going to back off and just let it go.

[End Update}

[Update III, Monday 11:40 AM]: Dr. Nancy Aldridge continues to blow away the "evidence" that Brian House has so been trying to protect. She has commented directly on the interviews given by CAC people, noting that they were leading and poorly-done.

I have no idea if the jury even is awake, but Dr. Aldridge is saying what a lot of us have been pointing out all along. There was no "investigation," folks. At the very beginning, the Usual Suspects decided that they were going to reach a conclusion before anything was done, and that Tonya Craft would be put on trial, convicted, and sent to prison for the rest of her life.

Sandra Lamb and Sherry Wilson would have their revenge, and Joal and Sarah Bass Henke would have custody of Tonya's children. Arnt and Gregor would be able to pose as the "saviors" of the community, and House would be seen as a judge that was "tough on crime." Once again, the Children's Advocacy Centers would be praised for protecting children.

I don't know what the jury will decide, but it is very, very clear that this was a dishonest and contrived "investigation" from the start. And no matter what the jury decides, there are people who are going to have to answer for what they have done, and you can bet that I will not be the only person out there pursuing them.

Lawyers all over the country currently are watching this trial and discussing them on their blogs. The blogging no longer is limited to Kevin West and me. There is going to be hell to pay here, and justice is going to be done. Of that, you can be sure.

[End Update III]

[Update II, Monday 10:40 AM]: As expected, the prosecution tried to disqualify today's expert witness, Dr. Nancy Aldridge, who is a nationally-recognized expert in this field and rarely testifies for the defense. She is one of the founders of the Children's Advocacy Centers in Georgia, and her testimony is highly-authoritative. Thus, once again, the prosecutors pulled out all stops but even House this time knew that if he refused to let Dr. Aldridge testify, the consequences would be such that he could not contain them in what has become the "House of Horrors."

Reading the various twitters, it is clear that Dr. Aldridge is debunking the videotapes, the questioning, and the qualifications of many of the people from the CAC. Because of her stature, it will be interesting to see of Len Gregor and Chris Arnt try to abuse her as they have the other witnesses.

[Update, Monday 8:45 AM]: Today, the defense brings another expert witness who has examined all of the videotapes and gives her assessment of whether or not the results of the interviews were valid. Given her stature, it almost is a sure thing that the prosecution will try to have her testimony disqualified, or at least her comments regarding the actual videotapes disallowed.

Last Friday, I believe it is strongly possible that Len Gregor lied to the court when he said he had not received the summary statement from the defense regarding Dr. Ann Hazzard. I await a similar trick today. I remind readers of what the Codes of Conduct for Prosecutors as given by the Georgia State Bar state:

Rule 3.3:

(a) A lawyer shall not knowingly:
(1) make a false statement of material fact or law to a tribunal;

Rule 3.4:

A lawyer shall not:

(a) unlawfully obstruct another party's access to evidence or unlawfully alter, destroy or conceal a document or other material having potential evidentiary value. A lawyer shall not counsel or assist another person to do any such act;

(b) (1) falsify evidence;

(2) counsel or assist a witness to testify falsely;

The maximum penalty for breaking these above rules is disbarment.

[End Update]

Dear Dr. Nielson:

For all of my life, I have been tied to the conservative wing of the Presbyterian Church. As a child, I was part of the old Evangelical Presbyterian Church (which had come from the Bible Presbyterian Church denomination), and later the Reformed Presbyterian Church. In 1982, when the RPs joined with the Presbyterian Church in America, I then became associated with PCA congregations.

We came to the Chattanooga area in 1964, as my father took a teaching job with Covenant College, where he taught full-time until 1993. Because he taught in what then was called the Bible Department, I became quite familiar with how the people at Covenant apply Reformed Theology. Later, when I taught there (part-time) from 1990 to 1995, I continued to learn and understand how the theology is applied to how the courses are taught, and to life itself.

Covenant stresses a "world and life view" in which the role of Christians is to "reclaim the world for Christ," and students are taught from day one to look to apply the faith to all areas of life. In order to be graduated, students must produce a "Senior Integration Project" (SIP) in which a student must demonstrate that he or she really understands the worldview that Covenant tries to present.

Students from Covenant also are involved in projects around the world, and sometimes in the local community, and their impact is positive. As one of the early "Covenant kids," the college was the center of my life for many years, and I took in much of the theology that the college and its faculty members presented to me.

Furthermore, Covenant stresses "justice" issues, and students are taught to act justly and to support those causes that promote justice, as part of the college's mission to be a partner in "reclaiming the world for Christ." All of these things are good, and I have supported that mission for as long as I have known about Covenant.

However, there is an issue of justice that is going on in your backyard, the Lookout Mountain Judicial District. You don't have to send students to Africa or to South America to witness terrible injustices done to Christians. No, all you have to do is to drive to the Catoosa County Courthouse in Ringgold to witness how three men have conspired to strip Tonya Craft of every element of a fair trial.

Before we discuss the issues of this particular case, the fact that Ms. Craft is being tried for alleged child molestation should not be a barrier. I believe that had Judge Brian House actually permitted the defense to have its witnesses on the stand and testify as to the information they had, the evidence debunking these charges would have been powerful and made to the jury.

Even if I believed Ms. Craft really was a child molester, I still would be outraged at the antics of the prosecutors, Chris Arnt and Len Gregor, who with the assistance of House have turned the proceedings into something as shameful as you would have seen in Stalin's Soviet Union. Arnt and Gregor are trying to create the intimidating atmosphere of a show trial, and so far they have succeeded, in large part because influential people like you have been silent.

Unfortunately, the news, because of its "objective" institutional constraints, cannot demonstrate to the public just what a sham this "trial" has become. As one reporter told me, the entire tribunal has turned into a "House of Horrors" in which the prosecutors totally have taken over, making noises, loudly sighing, rolling their eyes, objecting at nearly everything the defense has tried to do, bullying witnesses, suborning perjured testimony, and twisting the law so they can "just win, baby." This is not a trial, anymore; it is something akin to the locker room scene in which the "jocks" bully everyone else and the coach looks the other way.

However, just because Brian House has been teaming with Arnt and Gregor to deprive Ms. Craft her precious right to a fair trial does not mean that you have to remain quiet. Unfortunately, both Covenant administrators and faculty and the area PCA pastors have said nothing publicly about this abomination occurring right in broad daylight. Other churches have openly supported Ms. Craft AND the rights to fairness during the proceedings; the PCA and Covenant might as well be on another continent.

Let me tell you about a woman whose devotion should put all of you to shame. She is an elderly woman from Dalton, and she has to use oxygen while she is in the courthouse. In fact, she really is not supposed to be there, but she has faithfully been in that courtroom every day, witnessing the shameful actions of House, Gregor, and Arnt. She also has an entire Sunday School class praying faithfully for Ms. Craft. How many PCA churches have even offered one prayer for her?

What is more amazing to me is that she did not know Ms. Craft before this trial began. She just decided to come because she had made herself familiar with the case and the facts surrounding it and concluded that a great injustice was being done, and House, Arnt, and Gregor have done their best to prove her right.

Now, I doubt this woman has the sophisticated theology that accompanies Covenant and the area PCA congregations. In fact, I doubt she even would understand what you mean by a "SIP," and I doubt seriously she knows anything about John Calvin and the other Reformers. She just knows right from wrong, and she is doing everything she can to demonstrate she will stand up for right.

For that matter, Tonya attends a congregation of the Church of God, and there are few Church of God students at Covenant. That denomination might as well exist on another planet as far as you are concerned, but as I see it, Tonya Craft is a believer who openly is being denied a fair trial, and is fighting for her life while three men and their political allies crush her and her family.

"What can we do?" you ask. Good question. You cannot make House, Arnt and Gregor fear God, for by their actions they demonstrate fully that God is a joke to them, a non-entity. You cannot force House suddenly to start making rulings that apply equally to each side, and you cannot keep Arnt and Gregor from suborning perjury. However, you can BE THERE. Like that elderly woman on oxygen, you and your colleagues can go into that courtroom and make your presence known.

Can you imagine the impact of the president of Covenant College, along with a number of local PCA pastors and members of their congregations walking into that courtroom? Yes, you can do that and let the people there know that you demand that Brian House and those prosecutors conduct a fair trial, and that you are taking names and you will accept nothing less.

Someone who attended the trial this past week made a comment on one of my posts that gives a good account of the real injustice taking place:

Make no mistake, though, Gregor's behavior in general has disgusted me. His open mocking and mimicking of Dr. Lorandos on Friday was appalling. The fact that House just sits and watches it without a single reprimand galls me. That morning, House chided Dr. Lorandos for raising his voice, but I have yet to see him reprimand Gregor who raises his voice every day, is frequently sarcastic and belittling to both the defense witnesses and counsel, and grandstands at some point each day. Friday, it was with the slamming of a court order onto the podium when Dr. Lorandos was standing at it.

Is that acceptable to you? Are you going to be silent while this brutality takes place day after day, as these prosecutors engage in reprehensible behavior because no one of any stature or authority -- moral or otherwise -- has bothered to show up in the courtroom?

Tonya takes the stand beginning Wednesday, and you can bet that Gregor especially will be in her face, accusing her of being a lesbian, a slut, a whore, a narcissist, and who knows what else. He will want to follow a line of questioning that is not fit for a civilized courtroom, and certainly violates every norm that Christians such as William Blackstone made the backbone of what once was our legal system. What Gregor won't do is to bring up anything that is substantive about the case, as he will abuse and abuse -- if you let him do it, or you refuse to be present when he shows that brutal side of himself.

Each day, I receive emails from people who do not know Ms. Craft, but who have attended the proceedings. To a person, they tell of abuse of the law, bullying by the prosecutors, and how the prosecutors constantly object to nearly everything presented by the defense attorneys (and House, after looking to Arnt and Gregor for his cues, obediently sustains each objections) and engage in continual disruptive behavior.

You say you want to "do justice," and I think that is wonderful. You and I share the same beliefs and the same theology. However, you don't have to leave the country or even the state to "do justice." The opportunity is right there in front of you, but if you continue to remain silent, her blood will cry out against you.

150 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Well said Mr Anderson! I am a Christian and a Southern Baptist. My husband and I have also been frustrated by our local churches. Many of them have done nothing to support Tonya and some have all but turned their backs on her. I attend Oakwood, where Tonya was attending and active at the time these accusations were made. Many have tried to explain their lack of support to me, but in the end it was just that, a lack of support. I am well aware that 2 of the 4 families behind the accusations attend Oakwood as well, but shouldn't a church support ALL it's members? I am afraid that our churches have sat by and even encouraged the corruption in the Lookout Mountain Judicial District. They feel all warm and fuzzy when they get the bad guy or gal. I, too, want the real criminals off the street, but that is not what is happening in these counties. We all need to fall to our knees and pray that God has mercy on our souls for allowing this to continue! If we do not, God will judge our churches, counties, states, and our nation. Thank you Mr. Anderson for being a man of God.

I agree! Very well said! The lack of involvement by local leaders of the Christian faith is very frustrating. Regardless of their stand, there needs to be some involvement. It has been stated that Brian House attends Peavine Baptist Church. I feel certain that Dr. Anthony is praying for God's hand in this trial; however, his presence in the courtroom would speak very loudly to the community of Christians. Besides, shouldn't he be there to support this beloved member of Peavine during this very public affair? I challenge Dr. Stephen Anthony to physically attend this trial this week! He is "not afraid" to stand behind the podium and preach God's word even when it may offend people. Let's see if he can stand behind God's word in a heated public arena, not just in the comfort of his church!

I dont think christians are the only ones who need to get involved, what I have seen in this trial is it's ability to unite people of all races, religions, ages and backgrounds. As a pagan the first thing that drew me to this case was the correlation between the accusations and a witch hunt. I couldn't believe that we had learned nothing from the salem witch trials and the mcmartin cases.

Hate to say this but the average church goer is not known for being open minded, or a clear thinker. They've already found her guilty simply because of the icky nature of the charges. That's why prosecutors do so well with these type of cases, lots of fervor, lots of hellfire and damnation, little support for the accused possibly being innocent...

I am reminded of some previous posts about what "respectable" people do. I use that term loosly, as in today's society "respectable" has become a moniker for those who want to keep the status quo, don't want to ruffle feathers or stir the waters. In short, a milquetoast society. Its high time the silent majority of truly respectable citizens started standing up for all injustices in this world and against the good old boy system and governmant corruption that exists in small and large towns alike. You don't have to have religion to see the injustices in this case. Please pray to whomever your Higher power may be that those who are hoisting this particular farce will be shut down and held to account.Robert L.

Unfortunately, in the 2 aforemetioned churches, it is all about who has $$$, power and position.

There are 2 prayer events this Thursday, the National Day of Prayer - 7AM at the wedding chapel and Noon at the depot.

Tonya's supporters should show up at both of these and join us as we cry out to God to forgive us from our sins as believers and to deliver our cities, counties, states, and nation from the control of evil and corrupt people who think they are above God.

I agree with all of the above, and once again kudos to Mr. Anderson for loudly speaking the truth directly to those who would rather keep their heads in the sand.

Honestly, I don't have a lot of faith that we will see any action from religious leaders. The leaders of all too many of our churches will elbow each other aside to be the first one in line to publicly condemn what they judge to to be the sins of an individual, but yet be strangely silent when it comes to speaking out against institutionalized injustice and oppression when it might harm the bottom line or their status in the pecking order. Honestly, I find it extremely cowardly and far from the example set by He who they profess to follow. Although my personal beliefs have for the most part drifted away from organized Christianity over the years, primarily for the reasons I just discussed, I still know what a Pharisee is, and they are with us as surely today as they were in Christ's time.

I would add that a Pharisee is sitting in judgment and using the power of the state to deny any semblance of a fair trial to Tonya Craft. Every time I am reminded of Judicial Pimp House’s church membership I think of Mark Twain’s comment, “Jesus save me from your followers.”

No judge who has taken part in a civil matter involving a defendant has any business being the judge in a criminal matter involving that same defendant. You don’t have to practice any particular religion to understand that concept.

I must admit, I am not a "church going" Christian since for the most part I find (at least out here) churches to be nothing more than a social gathering of snobs who try to out do each other with how "visibly" Christian they are (yes I am jaded).

That being said, the travesty that is this trial goes against every religion that I can think of basic tenants. The Koran for instance speaks directly to bearing false witness as does Buddhism, the Jewish faith, Hindu and well.. pretty much everyone.

This is a basic of the sense of human honor. That you do NOT bear false witness. As I compile the actual facts (which the prosecution has INTENTIONALLY made as vague as possible, I find a terrible pattern of obvious fabrication.

Lets start with Accuser 1, the actress. After she was caught doing the girl on girl thing (pool part May 23, 2008), she was placed into counseling with CAC. According to her Mother's testimony, after THREE days of questioning her about this, the child says Tonya molested her at a slumber party in Jan of 2008. However, 10 months of counseling and 3 forensic interviews later, she has never told anyone there was inappropriate behavior by Tonya Craft. It is not until the FORTH forensic interview that she tells a graphic story of abuse, OFF CAMERA and the interviewer "forgot" to write it in her notes.

uh huh.. you bet. I have a bridge for sale.

On May 30 2008, Lamb calls Joel Hencke and tells him Tonya is being investigated for molestation. Joel of course begins to work on his daughter who denies everything.

Finally in a Forensic Interview she is asked if Tonya sexually abused her, she replies, I don't remember, but my dad says she did.

This case is such a tissue of lies and fabrications that I am beside myself how any reasonable person could think she was guilty of anything.

The only thing Tonya Craft is guilty of is pissing off some bitter woman and a skunk of an ex husband.

lest we also forget that accuser 1 has a grandpa who will crush everyone in his path for power and glory, French Newton.

I wonder if we looked at Houses campaign contributions how much French donated. I attended church with the Newton family years ago, and all that man wanted was for the congregation to glorify him as god. French Newton is a pathetic excuse for a human being, hiding under a mantle of "being a christian" It is deplorable humans such as him as to why so many good Christian cannot attend a regular church.

I feel sorry that if Tonya is found not guilty, as she should be, that the Newton money machine will continue to sue her, and torment her for as long as the Newtons feel like it.

Such a shame that people like this exist, who think that their S#*t dont stink...

While I cant say "I am a church going Christian" I am a spiritual man.I do not attend regularly for some of the reasons mentioned above.It sickens me, that "christians" will go to church on Sunday, walk out the door and go to court on Monday and bear false witness. I have all but given up on "religion" as we know it, this just solidifies my belief. As Christians, we have a duty to defend the weak and the falsely accused. Stand up boys, do the right thing.

I think what the citizens of LMJC "DESERVE" is for some highly accountable, respectable and recognizable people who hold office, have law firms, local companies, pastors etc... to come in to court and sit thru the trial Wednesday when Tonya is suppose to testify and make their presence be known. Maybe then will Tonya receive a fair "day" in court and the pros. team, including House, won't be showing their butts. Would really be impressed if our own DA Buzz Franklin would show himself during this trial, whether he supports it or not. They are his employees or whatever they are, if they filed charges against her with him telling them not to, isn't that insubordination? Fire them!! He needs to be there, let the citizens know where he stands with this, we DESERVE TO KNOW if he is supporting their decision to continue this disgrace!!! I have been a Catoosa County citizen for over 25 years and I am utterly disgusted by the way this whole prosecution team including House have acted. They have disgraced our county and the people who work for the county. Yes there are still good men and women who work for Catoosa County and agree with what I am saying. But the prosecution have painted a very bad picture of our great town. Ringgold is a great little town and what the citizens must do now is fight for Ringgolds dignity that Arnt, Gregor and House have destroyed!!! Let's demand their resignations, if Buzz has any backbone he will have already started this process!!!! The citizens of Catoosa Cty are greater in numbers, we (not I) put them in office, let's take it back and put someone with dignity and integrity in their places.

The leading cause of atheism today is Christians who got to church profess with their mouth walk out the door and continue about their lifestyle, That is why an unbelieving world simply remains unbelievable.

Superior Court Judges are supposed to file campaign disclosure reports with the Georgia Secretary of State. Go here to look up such reports. http://sos.georgia.gov/elections/campaign_disclosures/disclosure.htm

However, I can't find such a report for House. You may want to go to Georgia's version of the county clerk and ask for it.

It breaks my heart that this kind of thing drives people further from God because He is the essense of love. But religion is nothing more than mans attempt to reach God. It's futile and produces only pride. "Relationship" however, is quite the opposite. It's God seeking a one on one unity with us. Only this will enable us to walk in His love, gentleness, peace, etc. I seek this above all else, but when I see this kind of injustice I must admit I want to slap somebody..hahaha. I'm sure Jesus understands. Let's just all pray that TRUTH will prevail in Tonya's trial and within each of our own hearts.

"Because I had told the pastor about being sexually abused as a child, I was informed by French, that I could no longer teach my pre-k sunday school class and I was not allowed to be in a room alone with my own children (at that time, ages 4,5 and 6) His reasoning was that anyone who was molested as a child would become a molester of children as an adult..."

And, your pastor was blabbing confidential and privileged communications to French because...why?

Donna, you've got to be freakin' kidding me?!?!, An innocent victim as a child makes one guilty as an adult? Sounds like that guy is as arrogantly stupid as the rest, and the apple didn't fall far from the tree obviously.

Regarding your former pastor's actions, par for the course and consistent with why I'm not buying what they are selling anymore.

Breaking in mid sentence that way is another lawyer trick designed to break the flow of testimony and, they hope, the focus and concentration of the witness. Someone in an earlier message posted that a TN lawyer had described House as an "ass" when he was a lawyer and an "ass" as a judge. This is an example of the conduct that justifies that assessment.

Bill:"Update II, Monday 10:40 AM]:As expected, the prosecution tried to disqualify today's expert witness, Dr. Nancy Aldridge, who is a nationally-recognized expert in this field and rarely testifies for the defense. She is one of the founders of the Children's Advocacy Centers in Georgia, so her testimony is highly-authoritative. Thus, once again, the prosecutors pulled out all stops but even House this time knew that if he refused to let Dr. Aldridge testify, the consequences would be such that he could not contain them in what has become the "House of Horrors."

Reading the various twitters, it is clear that Dr. Aldridge is debunking the videotapes, the questioning, and the qualifications of many of the people from the CAC. Because of her stature, it will be interesting to see of Len Gregor and Chris Arnt try to abuse her as they have the other witnesses."

Donna, don't you realize that the statistics say that you are MORE likely to become a pedophile if you were molested as a child and of course that translate into everyone who was molested/raped/abused/had a drunk for a parent is going to grow up to do those things.

Jesus, where are peoples brains? Sounds like Mr. French has a Oedipus complex.

The relevance that information has for me is to strengthen the position that House should have recused himself. If House saw allegations of adultery against Tonya in the file of his partner, all the more reason for him to recuse himself.

These were not "mistakes." You have to understand that the CAC interviewers were not trying to see if abuse occurred. Instead, they already had concluded that Tonya was guilty and it was their job to get the evidence that the prosecutors would want.

This is a racket, and it stops here. These people have no idea of the scrutiny that will come upon them. Don't forget that Tonya is not the first person to be railroaded on these charges by the Usual Suspects.

The correct information is as follows. House's law partner was Mike Giglio. HE was the attorney of record in the Divorce. HOUSE did go to court on at least one occasion on behalf of his partner in the Divorce.House was NOT the attorney of record.

However... two man law firm, he does go to court at least once on Giglio's behalf representing Henke (sp). If I believe he didn't have chapter and verse on that divorce I will eat my hat.

You people are amazing with the info you come up with in such a short amount of time.

I wonder what these people think of House now? I'm going to ask Judge/Attorney Johnny Houston as soon as I get a chance to call him. Johnny is a good man of character. I'm sure he's appalled at this zoo.

I have to wonder why it's mainly attorney's contributing. Does the magic envelopes have anything to do with it?

I think that House and the dysfunctional duo are in for the fight of their lives. They're careers are slipping away right before their very eyes.

I'll bet they are sleeping very well worrying about the aftermath of this trial and their actions.

I have never seen this many people this mad and actively trying to see that justice is done. If one good thing can come of this, it's that other wrongly convicted persons (by this same tag team) get their cases reviewed and reversed if they were railroaded too.

We'll all have a big caravan to the hearing when these asshole lose their licenses. This county deserves so much better.

Wow...interesting. Many of the folks on that list are very respectable and of good character. I would imagine they are cringing at the fact that they did anything to help get that buffoon to the position that he's now abusing.

Interesting. I am trying to verify Divorce information. There is a post by one SandyB on another site that states.

The divorce was uncontested and her ex-husband's brother-in-law, Mike Giglio, was handling the divorce. Mr. House stood in for the final proceeding ONLY because he was licensed in Tennessee and as a favor. Attorneys do that with each other.

If someone out there actually has knowledge (factual) of how this went (what lawyer did what) we would love that information.

Oh and SandyB is most likely step mom posting. She is pretty vitriolic in her comments re Tonya.

Of course the current Mrs Henke is very much behind the persecution. After all she's the one who was taking a shower with Tonya's child and shaving herself. She was the one that Tonya reported before she was charged. She is betting the farm on a conviction so she can get Tonya out of her "little faux christian world" for good.

Interestingly, he performed much better in Chattooga (66%) and Dade (71%) where nobody had likely ever heard of him but just saw all his signs. Catoosa he took by 59% and Walker by 55%, both places he likely was better known and where this trial is getting the most of the attention due to who is involved. Catoosa+Walker made up 76% of the vote too, so Dade and Chattooga don't count for much.

Those numbers don't bode too well for the reelection environment he will be facing, assuming he even makes it to the next election cycle and doesn't decide to forego running again to "pursue other opportunities"

Don't worry Kerwyn, all you were doing is republishing already public information. Telling though isn't it?! They are watching us and we need to be above reproach and accurate in our descriptions (which I think most have been)

Correct and if you read my posts there, not only are they correct, but very measured and politically correct. I am very careful to name no names of either parents or children nor am I making any accusations.

I agree that we do have to be above reproach. After all, we already have seen the devastation that lies can produce, have we not?

What many of these people don't realize is that they are going to undergo scrutiny that they have been able to avoid before. Look, how many attorneys outside Georgia and the Chattanooga area knew anything about Len Gregor or Chris Arnt?

No one was scrutinizing them before, but now they actions are being written about all over the country. It is one thing for an obscure economist to be shooting at them; it is quite another for people of influence to take notice and not like what they see.

As I have posted, there WILL be consequences that these men will face. Of that, I have no doubt at all.

Kerwyn, btw, glad I could help ;) Don't worry about it, it's public record, can't imagine that complaint will go anywhere.

I think some are very, very shocked that a bunch of people scattered all across the country that only know each other as pixels on a screen are so effectively disinfecting the haze of the smoke-filled back room. The internet is a powerful thing, ignore it at your peril!

I believe it is a conflict of interest for a candidate for Judge to accept campaign contributions from a bail bondsman. If I'm not mistaken, GA Code even forbids anyone at the jails, whether they are Sheriffs or local police, to recommend a bondsman, and conversely Bondsmen are prohibited by law from recommending attorneys to the folks they bond out from jail.

Gosh, I am amazed that this blog has turned into so many "I don't go to church" because of "so called" Christians. I have a few points about that. The 1st one being the focus of this trial is the Judge's character and what has been allowed to take place. We that believe in a fair trial and believe that Tonya is innocent need to rally around her and support her. I love the idea of one comment...Christians and nonchristians that believe in her innonence should make your way to courthouse, all the way around it, hold hands and unite for her quittal. We should support her regardless where our faith lies. (I am in Tn, or I would gladly be there) The 2nd is I AM one of those Christians that attends church reguarly and because I do DOES NOT mean I am perfect nor does it mean I do everything right. Just because people are or claim to be Christians does not mean we are without fault. We ALL sin. Some just more than others. And that includes Christians as well. Now, I do agree that there are those who need to change their lives, and live more like Christ rather than just go to church to be seen or make a statement. Don't judge all Christians by the likes of a few. 3rd...I go to church because I LOVE THE LORD and desire to learn about Him, worship Him, and praise HIM. The bible says to fellowship together. That's what I do. I go because my TEENAGE kids love being a part of a great youth group. I go because I feel they are my family. I can ASSURE you I would rather go to church with a bunch of hypocrites than go to hell with them!!!!! And no , I do not believe going to church gets you into heaven anymore than not going sends you to hell. If you have asked Christ into your heart at any point in your life, then you are a brother in Christ. Whether or not you live the way you should is something you will answer to one day. I believe if you are TRULY saved, you will have the desire to live as though you are saved. Based on the lies that "seem" to surround these families, one can only wonder how close they walk with our Lord... but I can promise you one thing.. they will NOT stop me from attending my church that I love, that I learn in, and that I support. Nor should it you. You do NOT go to church for those people, you go for you. tplas

Gosh, I am amazed that this blog has turned into so many "I don't go to church" because of "so called" Christians. I have a few points about that. The 1st one being the focus of this trial is the Judge's character and what has been allowed to take place. We that believe in a fair trial and believe that Tonya is innocent need to rally around her and support her. I love the idea of one comment...Christians and nonchristians that believe in her innonence should make your way to courthouse, all the way around it, hold hands and unite for her quittal. We should support her regardless where our faith lies. (I am in Tn, or I would gladly be there) The 2nd is I AM one of those Christians that attends church reguarly and because I do DOES NOT mean I am perfect nor does it mean I do everything right. Just because people are or claim to be Christians does not mean we are without fault. We ALL sin. Some just more than others. And that includes Christians as well. Now, I do agree that there are those who need to change their lives, and live more like Christ rather than just go to church to be seen or make a statement. Don't judge all Christians by the likes of a few. 3rd...I go to church because I LOVE THE LORD and desire to learn about Him, worship Him, and praise HIM. The bible says to fellowship together. That's what I do. I go because my TEENAGE kids love being a part of a great youth group. I go because I feel they are my family. I can ASSURE you I would rather go to church with a bunch of hypocrites than go to hell with them!!!!! And no , I do not believe going to church gets you into heaven anymore than not going sends you to hell. If you have asked Christ into your heart at any point in your life, then you are a brother in Christ. Whether or not you live the way you should is something you will answer to one day. I believe if you are TRULY saved, you will have the desire to live as though you are saved. Based on the lies that "seem" to surround these families, one can only wonder how close they walk with our Lord... but I can promise you one thing.. they will NOT stop me from attending my church that I love, that I learn in, and that I support. Nor should it you. You do NOT go to church for those people, you go for you. tplas

I had a jury summons to go to this morning. I didn't get picked, oh well. I was amazed at how different it was in that courtroom as compared to the one in Ringgold. The judge, lawyers, and the DA were all very polite. Yes, the DA was there as they were initiating a new grand jury. Seeing the DA there led me to thinking. Maybe the reason that we haven't seen the DA at Tonys's trial is because he has two ADA's tied up there so he has to cover the gap in the other courts? Just a thought.

I would give anything to be in that courtroom today. According to the tweets I've followed all day, this is the first day that things really are being to the jury that could turn this case.

No wonder House has his head in his hands. The "tricky two" are trying their best, but the witness is blowing their investigators and case completely out of the water.

Keep up the great work "D Lo". Standing up to this pricks is something they are not used to. They are cowards that are used to people bowing at their feet and begging for mercy, even if they happen to be innocent.

I've been following the tweets too. Looks like the defense just dropped the Atom bomb on the persecution with the testimony of Dr. Aldridge. Finally! The jury cannot look past all the points Dr. Aldridge has made in criticizing the "evidence".

I love the way Dr. Lorandos is handling House & the prosecution today. Seems to me he might have had a discussion with someone a tad bit more powerful in the state of GA. Wonder if click, clack & smack notice?? Probably not. I guess that has something to do with the "hold onto your seats" message from Cary King.

Kerwyn, nothing you posted to WRCB is personal and you named no names. No reason to suspend your account, except a small minded person flexing their muscles. I do know FB isn't blocking friend requests and your page is still there. Keep fighting the good fight. Someone out there is worried or they wouldn't have sent FB a complaint.

FB just mailed me with a statement "We find no harassment on your part in any form on this forum. Your account has been restored. Members who make false allegations of harassment will be investigated and their accounts suspended. I am sorry we can provide you with no further information."

WTG Kerwyn!!!! I love it!!! It's funny that the only people who have been pulling dirty tricks like that are the ones supporting the prosecution & their disgusting behavior. Friends of the Lambs, Wilsons, McDonalds & Henkes have all tried to lie on public forums, but yet claim they are telling the truth to the court. Yet another display of what they are capable of doing.

Funny little tid bit.... My family at lunch at a local restaurant yesterday. We had been there around 45 minutes before we brought up the fiasco. As soon as we started to talk about it, the lights began to dim, the music started going in & out & the televisions began to flicker. We all looked at each other, then my 65 year old mother handed me the pepper shaker & told me to speak into the microphone. :-) It was just a coincidence, but the timing could not have been more perfect.

What has Tonya's body language been like through this trial and did it change any today? I have been at work so I haven't been able to attend the trial. I have been tense just reading about it but more relieved today.

The day I sat in on the trial Tonya held herself in a very professional manner. When things were said about her from the prosecution witness, her demeanor never changed. I saw her in the hallway before court started and she looked me straight in the eye and managed a small smile. You could tell she was tired but she still carried herself with self respect. She carriers herself like an innocent person does.

Bill,I think that it is like the bed of Procrustes, the Greek bandit who captured people and either stretched them or cut off their legs to make them fit his bed. From this arose the Procrustean solution exhibited by the prosecution in Tonya's case:

"A Procrustean solution is the undesirable practice of tailoring data to fit its container or some other preconceived stricture. A common example from the business world is embodied in the notion that no résumé should exceed one page in length.

A Procrustean solution in statistics, instead of finding the best fit line to a scatter plot of data, one first chooses the line one wants, then selects only the data that fits it, disregarding data that does not, so to "prove" some point. It is a form of rhetorical deception made to forward one set of interests at the expense of others. The unique goal of the Procrustean solution is not win-win, but rather that Procrustes wins and the other loses. In this case, the defeat of the opponent justifies the deceptive means."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procrustes

Rushoony writes about the Procrustean effect in his Commentaries on the Pentateuch.

I have read lots of references to Wikipedia...my kid's teachers advise them to never use that website when gathering info for school work. Says it is not reliable sourse...can be edited. Mr. Anderson, do you know? I have noticed an "edit this page" tab before....I know it's nothing to do with trial, just curious. tplas

I am in shock. Arnt says he will object to every "hypothetical" question posed by the defense. House sustains Arnt's objections. Arnt goes to cross and starts with a "hypothetical" question and defense objects. House overrules saying "he's on the cross". What is up with that?

Great reporting by Norwood as usual. I especially like the part about Dr. Lorandos making a point about not being intimidated by Gregor. Good thing for Len that Dr. Lorandos and his black belt doesn't subscribe to the Bobby Lee Cook theory of teaching opposing council how to mind their manners or young Len might be painfully extracting one of his Mini Coopers out of where his head usually is.

Bobby Lee is a law unto himself in these parts, not that I agree that's the way it should be, but at least he is on the side of good usually and about the only thing punks like Gregor and Arnt fear.

Cook is a crook just like the rest of those good ole boys. He took a tidy sum of money from me in the 80's to defend me in a federal case and then jobbed me out to a newbie in Atlanta. I was screwed while Bobby Lee Crook deposited my check in the bank

The problem with the prosecution abusing Dr. Aldridge is that she is influential in legal circles, and with judges and prosecutors in this state. That means that the Dishonest Duo is in the process of making yet another powerful and influential enemy.

As I have said, I will work for disbarment of both of these people. They are fundamentally dishonest, and I also know some information about one of them that is a "game-changer" if they ever are subjected to a Bar hearing.

What ramifications does House face if things really get going against him other than losing an election? I found this on the Georgia Bar site. I haven't had time to read it and fully digest it, but doubt I'll have to read much before I starting finding where he is blatantly violating it.

I've been concentrating on the prosecutors, since judges are subject to a different oversight group. That is why I have listed the rules for the prosecutors on my posts and then explained where they might be violating them.

Obviously, whether or not they actually violated the rules is up to the Bar.

Callie Starnes just reported that Tonya's side of the court room was filled and spilling over to the prosecutors side. WOOHOO!!! Let's fill up both sides. Callie also said that not one person they have approached that thinks Tonya is guilty will do an interview.

I'm thinking their may be a mareket for toilet paper with House, Arnt and Greggor's face on it on. That way several times a day you could get a good laugh. The proceeds could go to Tonya to help pay for her lawyers.

There's going to be a long line of people if a class action suit gets filed against the judges of the LMJC for performing judicial misconduct in office. A favorite tactic is if an attorney is faced with a damaging motion and receives a notice of hearing, he decides to just not show up that day and reschedules his other cases in that court for another day. According to the law of the state of GA, an attorney who fails to appear for a notified hearing is in contempt of court, a judge does not sanction the attorney for contempt for failing to appear, he performs judicial misconduct. Forged documents, perjured statements on notarized affidavits are fraud before the tribunal, do the judges sanction the attorneys for filing such papers? Hell no. Judges are required to rule on motions within 30 days, if they do not rule, they are in violation of the law of the state of Georgia and subject to removal from office. A judge is rude to a litigant before the court, and his attorney, that is improper conduct as well. A judge receives perjured testimony on a notarized and sworn affidavit, a witness impeaches the perjurer by contrary testimony; when the judge fails to sanction the perjurer for performing contempt, such conduct is grounds for removal of a judge for failing to uphold his/her oath of office. A woman fails to follow an order of the court for not allowing visitation of the children by their father for months on end, and the judge refuses to find the woman in contempt, therefore failing to uphold their oath of office to enforce the law of the state of Georgia. These violations of the oaths of office happen DAILY in the LMJC. I could go on and on, the LMJC is John Grisham's bestseller 10X over. The judges of the LMJC are totally beholden to their former peers, if you are not one of the "in" crowd, you and your attorney will NOT get justice.

I know Brian House's first wife and didn't vote for him because I knew his character. If you don't treat people in your family/house with respect will you really treat strangers that way in a court of law? He's proven he won't.

I also was kind of ticked when he was running for judge. One evening about dinner time a man rang the door bell. He was passing out pamphlets trying to get a "vote." I can probably still smell his cologne on the front poarch if I take a deep sniff. Anyway he was going through the spill of he's a christian, he's a family man, he's a great lawyer he's defended me several times. (exactly who was Brian sending door to door ... it could have been a dad fighting for his children but he could also be a pedofile, rapist, home invasion, druggie) It really ticked me off when I had jury duty a month later and who walked in for a pending trial but my door knocker.

@ Anon 5:43, Buzz Franklin is laying low because he plans to run for judge is my best guess. Arnt and Gregor have already reportedly incurred Franklin's wrath for filing the indictments in this case behind his back while he was out of town, he's not brave enough to fire them and drop the case, he just want's the furor to die down so he can continue his political career and collect his State Retirement Plan benefits after performing a judgeship till he reaches bye bye time. He has no conflict of ANY interests except his own future.

No she doesn't. He has one of those kind of jobs that allow him to "get around" without her being able to keep tabs on him. "Yes honey, I was showing that house to Len that he promised to buy after this case is over. No, I wasn't with Sandra, I promise."

I'd like to caution everybody that a jury doesn't always behave the way others may expect them to. Remember O.J.? Even though it seems to us onlookers that it should be a slam-dunk, they could very well come back with a guilty verdict. Don't want to be a damper on all the positive vibes, just want us all to be prepared should that happen.

Also, even if there is a not guilty verdict, I hope and pray we continue to feel just as passionate to keep Arnt, Gregor, and House as accountable for their actions as we do right this second. We owe it to ourselves and our children to start dismantling the good ole boy judicial system right here, right now.

Anon. 7:27 you are right, if the jury comes back not guilty, we can't just go on and forget what a travesty this case has been and how many others there are out there, who have been subjected to the same.

I totally agree on both counts. Juries are unpredictable, but I'm feeling that Tonya's defense has been totally top notch and is exactly what it was going to take to have any chance of beating this crowd. After waiting so long for some light to finally shine and start scattering the cockroaches, now is the time to start stamping them out before everyone slips back into the status quo.

I really want to go out and support Tonya when she testifies. Are you sure she is testifying Wednesday? Is this what her attorneys are telling you? I need to know cause I have to take off work and my boss gets really mad when I'm not there on Wednesdays. Thanks for all you do.

By Lookout Spy:Hate to say this but the average church goer is not known for being open minded, or a clear thinker. They've already found her guilty simply because of the icky nature of the charges. That's why prosecutors do so well with these type of cases, lots of fervor, lots of hellfire and damnation, little support for the accused possibly being innocent...

I think you're exactly right. Plus she's a woman and "the woman" is always wrong in so many of the narrow minds of sheeple in this area. Too many people with heads still stuck in the Old South. I'm just as proud of my southern heritage as the next, but there are parts of our history that are beyond shameful and desperately need to be shed.

This was a great day in this trail. The defense has performed very very well. They have maintained their cool under a ton of fire with bombs going off around them. Being a local business man in Catoosa County I am very happy with the defense and the way they have performed. As I have stated from the beginning, I don't know anything about the truth in the case. I am learning what I feel is the truth due to the defense and their manner. I am also learning that the prosecution is acting the way they have based on one fact. (They have no case) When a prosecutor throws a fit in a place of Honor, it is because he is trying to protect his position and his name. This is a tell all to people of any common sense. The prosecutions poor behavior is what will give Tonya a not guilty verdict. Dr. Aldridge's testimony was awesome for the defense. It gave the jury a fair and unbiased look at the lack of real evidence this lady has been charged with. Dr. Larandos is not only a black belt, he is very smart. Sincerely, Fishman

GREAT JOB Defense Team!! You guys are great. I bet the good people of Catoosa county are not used to seeing an honest attorney, who, uses facts not fiction. Arnt and Gregor sit smuggly whispering to one another with their entire cardboard box on their desk full of their case. They are not too bright if you ask me.

I have been told that Tonya will be testifying on Wednesday, but as you know, courts don't run to a tight time schedule, especially with witnesses being questioned, as the whole thing can take longer (or sometimes shorter) than anticipated.

So, my best answer is that she is scheduled for Wednesday, but that never is a firm thing.

When she does take the stand, however, look for Gregor to abuse her -- and get away with it.

Gregor does seem to relish playing the badder cop role of the bad and badder (in their own mind) Dishonest Duo. He may be surprised though, they got schooled yesterday, and I look for it to happen again.

I have a feeling Tonya is going to be much more of a worthy opponent than they are bargaining for. They should have figured that out just based what has happened so far, but as has been noted already, those two obviously aren't the sharpest tools in the shed.

Remember, Face and The Man are used to bullying and intimidating poor souls, most of whom because of their life experiences just don't have the verbal skills, ability to think on their feet, and confidence that it takes to play and win at verbal judo.

I hope after this is over, we can get some folks to look at my brother's case and help us get him hime where he belongs. Len Gregor did the exact same thing to him. And our atty's name is on the list above of House's contributers. That is even more interesting for us. Our atty. told us to steer clear of the media. I wished we hadn't listened. Please don't forget about us and all the other innocent ppl sittin in prison.

About Me

I teach economics at Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland. We are located on the Allegheny Plateau, and we have cool summers and tough winters.
I am the father of five children, four of them adopted from overseas, and the husband of a beautiful wife. I have two grandchildren. My family and I are members of Faith Presbyterian Church (PCA).